Question: The scale on a map is 4cm : 5km. If the distance between two cities is 50km, how far apart in cm are the two cities on the map?
Explanation: The scale means that every 4cm on the map corresponds to an actual distance of 5km. An actual distance of 50km is the same as 10 $\cdot$ 5km. The distance between the two cities on the map is 10 $\cdot$ 4cm, or 40cm.